Nursing nipple



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,787

J. A. SMITH NURS ING NIPPLE Filed Dec. 2 1926 IN VEN TOR Jay/w A.s/v/f/r I m ATTOR EY Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH A. SMITH, 01 ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

NURSING NIPPLE.

Application filed December 20, 1926. Serial No. 155,998.

My invention relates to an improved nursing-nipple characterized in thatthe nipple 1s non-collapsible and does not descend Into the neck of thenursing bottle.

5 It is a familiar fact that the ordinary nursing nipples ofcommercepossess the undesirable feature of collapsing in use due to the partialvacuum which by the sucking of the infant is created, all to theannoyance and disturbance of the infant who is generally made fretfulthereby. Another evil to which the nipples now in use are subject arisesafter the nipple becomes extremely flexible from use so that it isthrust down the neck of 16 the nursing bottle with facility by theinfant.

Both these evils do much to deprive the infant of a portion of thepleasure which generally accompanies feeding.

Many attempts have been made to solve 20 the problem presented by theevils specified and in fact many forms of nipples have been proposed andpatented but none has as yet met with universal acceptance asaccomplishing the sought for result.

It is an object of myinvention to provide a nursing-nipple, simple indesign and effective in operation which permits the uninterrupted flowof fluid to the infant, regardless how far the nipple is pulled downover the bottle neck.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved nursing nipplehaving therein a bridge member which has the double function ofpreventing the formation of a partial vacuum and also serves to preventthe nipple top from being pushed 1nto the neck of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detaileddescription.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a bottom view of my improved nipple showingthe interior of the socket with the bridge member in place.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the nipple in inverted positionshowing the bridge member extending over the bead portion of the nipple.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 2 showingin a clearer fashion the relation and disposition of the brid e memberwithin the socket of the nipple.

Fig. 4 shows my improved nipple applied to a nursing bottle, the nippleand ottle neck being shown in cross section for the sake of greaterclarity.

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line BB of Fig. 4 showing the bridge memberdistended across the mouth of the bottle as well as the air ducts formedat the side of the bottle neck by the end of the bridge member disposedbetween the socket and the bottle neck.

Fig. 6 shows cross sectional view of a modification wherein the bridgehas a right angular contour.

Referring to the drawing 1 designates the bead on the nursin nipple, 2,the socket which is generally 0 alesser diameter than the neck of thebottle to ensure a close fit 3 the shoulder portion of the socket, 4 theclosed end or nipple proper, 5 the hole in the extremity for egress ofthe fluid and 6 the diagonal bridge member which extends from a pointadjacent the interior of the shoulder portion to the outside of thehead.

So far as the exterior of the nipple itself is concerned, the structureis unchanged. I mag take any nipple now to be found in use an equip itin the manner hereinafter suggested and achieve the desired results. Bytaking a narrow strip of rubber or similarly extensible material andadhering one end thereof to the interior of the wall portion of thesocket 2 adjacent the shoulder 3, as shown in Fig. 3, and adhering theother end around the bead portion 1, a nipple having a bridge piecediagonally disposed therein, is

produced. The length of the strip should 1:

be sufficient to enable the strip to extend in the manner shown but itshould not be stretched when applied to the nipple. When in use thisbridge member is stretched across the top of the bottle, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5. When in place on the bottle the wall portion 7 of thesocket 2 against which the head end of the bridge member 6 presses, doesnot hug the bottle tightly by reason of the bridge member which acts asa buffer, leaving narrow air ducts or clearances 8, 8, which extend fromthe mouth of the bottle to the head portion. Since the bridge memberenvelops the bead at its point of contact, the continuity of the airducts is made possible. The size and ex tent of the air ducts may bevaried according to the thickness and width of the bridge member. It ispreferable to employ a very narrow bridge member so as not to interferewith the flow of fluid from the bottle.

The material of which the bridge member is made may be rubber or anyother suitable material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the bridge member 9 is transverselydisposed within the socket but instead of extending diagonally as inFig. 3, it extends diametrically of the socket at the shoulder portionthereof, with one end continuing along the wall of the mcket and endingoutside of the head portion.

All that has been said above in the description of my preferredembodiment is ofiered by way of illustration and not limitation. I donot wish to be limited to the exact structure of the preferredembodiment shown and described, or to any particular material used inthe construction of parts, or to the design of parts, but desireprotection as ainst any variations in structure which u 'ze theprinciple of my invention and fall within the purview of my inventionand are within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. In combination with an elastic nursing nipple having an expansiblesocket, an elastic bridge member disposed within and secured to theinterior of said socket, said elastic bridge member extendintransversely of said socket, one end of said bridge member being securedat a oint outside the edge of said expansible soc et.

2. An elastic nursing ni ple comprisin in combination an expansi lesocket, said socket having a wall adapted to yieldingly embrace a bottleneck, a bridge member secured at one end of said wallet its upperportion and extending transversely of said socket, the other end of saidbridge member being secured to the outer side of said socket walladjacent the base.

3. An elastic nursing nipple comprising an expansible socket, a bodyportion, a shoulder intermediate of said socket and body portion, anextensible bridge member disposed transversely within said socket, saidbridge member being secured at one end to the interior of said nippleadjacent the shoulder thereof, the other end bein secured at a pointoutside the edge of sai expansible socket.

Signed at Fall River in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusettathis 22nd day of October, 1926.

JOSEPH A. SMITH.

